Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS)

Information updated on Tue Apr 8 14:27:12 2008

General Data Description

ACARS stands for the Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, which is managed by Aeronautical Radio, Inc. (ARINC). ACARS is used by airlines to transmit a variety of proprietary air-to-ground communications. FSL uses the term ACARS to designate automated weather reports from commercial aircraft. These data are routed by several cooperating airlines to FSL, who decode and quality control the data. The data stream includes AMDAR data from many European and Asian air carriers. The AMDAR data are subjected to the same quality control and other processing by FSL as the ACARS data.

All data available are included in the "gec" (Global Earth Coverage) data stream. Data covering only the areas around each site are also available.

Further information about these data can be found at the FSL ACARS web page .

Data Stream Names

gecacarsX1.a1
nsaacarsX1.a1
sgpacarsX1.a1
twpacarsX1.a1

Measurement Description

The following measurements are available for all data streams:

missing minutes of input data
minimum and maximum date/time covered in file

For each observation:

latitude and longitude (degrees)
pressure altitude (meters MSL)
time of observation
temperature (Kelvin)
wind direction (degrees)
wind speed (meter/sec)
heading (degrees)
mach number
water vapor mixing ratio
relative humidity
dew point (Kelvin)
eddy dissipation rate (m^(2/3) s^-1)
peak vertical acceleration (meters/sec/sec)
peak vertical gust (meters/sec)
quality control and error indicators

Temporal Coverage

All data are available beginning September 22, 1998

Data are available at the ARM Archive within a few days after the date of the file.

gecacarsX1.a1 was discontinued as of 20030223.

Area Covered

gecacarsX1.a1 Covers the area with Lat (-90, 90) and Lon(-180, 180)
nsaacarsX1.a1 Covers the area with Lat (65, 80) and Lon(-175, -130)
sgpacarsX1.a1 Covers the area with Lat (31.941,41.00) and Lon(-103.561,-91.585)
twpacarsX1.a1 Covers the area with Lat (-20,20) and Lon(110,-80)

Data Stream Inputs

These data streams are directly provided from FSL.

Notification Form Link

ACARS Notification Form

Contacts

ARM Mentor

Richard Wagener

ARM Software Developer

Laurie Gregory